1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion guide device for guiding linear motion or curvilinear motion of a moving body relative to a main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of such motion guide devices is a linear guide having a raceway rail and a saddle-shaped moving block mounted on the raceway rail slidably via a large number of rolling elements.
The raceway rail has a plurality of rolling-element rolling grooves formed therein along the longitudinal direction. The moving block has, formed therein, a plurality of loaded rolling-element rolling grooves facing the rolling-element rolling grooves of the raceway rail and rolling-element return paths extending in parallel with the loaded rolling-element rolling grooves. A pair of end plates is attached to respective end parts of the moving block in the moving direction. In each end plate, a U-shaped direction change path is formed connecting an end of the loaded rolling-element rolling groove and an end of the rolling-element return path. These loaded rolling-element rolling groove, rolling-element return path and direction change path forma circuit-line rolling-element circulation path, in which a plurality of rolling elements is arranged. Motion of the moving block relative to the raceway rail makes the rolling elements roll between the rolling-element rolling groove of the raceway rail and the loaded rolling-element rolling groove of the moving block.
A conventional, typical motion guide device is mounted on an industrial machine such as a machining tool, semiconductor/liquid crystal manufacturing device and guides linear motion or curvilinear motion of a moving body such as a table relative to a main body such as a base. The motion guide device is required to have such high rigidity that it can support a heavy moving body and such high running precision as to position the moving body with high precision. In order to satisfy these demands, the raceway rail, the moving block and rolling elements are made of steel product with high rigidity. And, the raceway rail and the moving block are fixed on the moving body and moving body with a bolt For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-307445).
However, in these days, motion guide devices are used for various purposes, and often mounted in not only industrial machines, but also, automobiles, aircrafts, and home appliances. When a motion guide device is mounted in a home appliance, requirements for the motion guide device are, rather than high rigidity, high running precision, separatability of the moving body from the main body so that the motion guide device can be cleaned by removing the moving body from the main body, and light weight of the motion guide device itself. Needless to say, if it is mounted in a home appliance, intrinsic property of the motion guide device enabling smooth guiding of the moving body without rattle.
However, when the conventional, typical motion guide device is used and the raceway rail and the moving block are fixed directly on the bolts, the moving body can be guided smoothly without rattle however, when the stroke of the moving block is restricted, in order to separate the moving body from the main body, the bolt needs to be taken away and the moving body is separated from the moving body or bolt needs to be taken away to separate the raceway rail from the main body. That is, separation of the moving body from the main body become becomes difficult. Even if, like the motion guide device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-307445, the raceway rail having rolling-element rolling groove formed therein is split and split raceway rails are connected to the raceway rail main body, the moving body is still difficult to be separated from the main body.
The present invention has an object to provide a motion guide device capable of guiding a moving body smoothly without rattle and facilitating separation of the moving body from the main body.